


Life After Life

by yauksiei



Series: Reincarnation!verse [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Blood, Emotionally Constipated People, Fire, Horror, Misunderstandings, Multi, Parties, Reincarnation AU, Scent Marking, Stiles dies...a lot, There are a lot of tags that I could put up actually, Tragedy, Werewolves are immortal, but I'll just let you read the story instead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-07
Updated: 2012-07-11
Packaged: 2017-11-09 09:45:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/454092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yauksiei/pseuds/yauksiei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek had first met him in 1842, at a family friend's ball, celebrating the only son's coming of age.</p><p>(Werewolves are immortal in this fic.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1842: Part 1 of 2

**Author's Note:**

> The title was inspired by a song called Life After Life, from Wildhorn's Dracula. I don't think the actual song has any real relevance to this story, though XP but still, I thought the title was at least fitting.
> 
> So, here you go! I hope you all enjoy!

Derek had first met him in 1842, at a family friend's ball, celebrating the only son's coming of age.

It was just short of impossible *not* to have seen him, Derek recalls. The boy was making such grand gestures with his hands, talking with such animation, with the brightest blue coat ever to be seen, that almost every eye in the room was on him anyway. And once Derek's eye was caught on him, it was just as impossible to look away, and his father, with whom he had been conversing, looked where he was.

Mr. Hale smiled, pearl white teeth glinting in the candlelight. "Ah, yes. That is General Stilinski's son. I talked to him once last year, when his family was visiting a friend of mine from their country home in Virginia. He told me that his name was 'Stiles'."

"Stiles?" Derek raised a brow, still not looking away from the person in question, "An odd name. Although, he does seem to be an odd boy."

"Quite odd, if memory serves," Mr. Hale chuckled, "But, I can tell you that he is a very bright young man. Just a few years younger than you, as well." he nudged his son lightly, "Perhaps you should go and speak to him. I am sure you will not find it to be a dull conversation."

Derek continued to size this Stiles boy up for a moment longer before deciding this was a valid suggestion, for there was something about this one that intrigued him. He could not place the notion on any specific feeling, just that it was something new and interesting.

Stiles' listeners had gone just before Derek reached him, so they almost bumped into each other as the boy turned to look around for more of his friends. Derek can still remember vividly the second those chocolate eyes met his own and the world around him ceased to exist. He also remembers that spicy scent, the welcoming grin, the cheerful greeting, and how warm his hand was when he shook Derek's. The gleam of recognition when he heard the name Hale, the recounting of Stiles' brief conversation with Mr. Hale, and how the man had spoken of his sons with great pride, Derek included. 

He remembers, because his wolf can't not forever catalogue when he first saw his mate. Why, it had almost run wild, despite the years of training to keep it under wraps, and Derek had to take at least three calming breaths, in addition to looking down for a brief moment so that Stiles would not see his eyes flash blue.

"Are you alright?" Stiles asked.

"Yes," Derek turned his face upward once more, only this time with a smile on his face. For, truly, how could he not smile? This was the happiest moment of his life (despite the almost slip). "I have not been feeling my best tonight, that is all."

Stiles looked worried, putting a hand on his shoulder to steer him towards the drinks, commenting on how he did indeed look a bit flushed. He handed Derek some wine, and started to talk. And talk. And talk. It seemed that once he opened his mouth, Derek could do nothing to stop him, until after just a short hour of almost one-sided conversation, he knew much about Stiles, as well as the nature of his family's relationship with the Georges (that was the family hosting the party). But Derek wanted him to talk more. Instead of being annoyed, he was grinning at the boy, his wolf fidgeting in contentment as Stiles blushed mildly with a smile at his gestures to continue.

Unfortunately, Derek could not listen to his newfound mate speak forever, for Laura strode over, annoucing that their father wished to leave.

"Oh," Stiles' smiles fell a bit, and Derek frowned at the loss. "I suppose you must leave, then?"

"Will I see you again?" Derek asked, trying to keep the eagerness from his voice. Stiles had no such composure.

"Can I?"

Cards were exchanged, Stiles fumbling a little bit, for he was back then what he is now: clumsy. Derek did not mind, in fact, back then he was nothing but amused and patient with him. Afterwards, they bade a reluctant goodbye.

Derek does not remember getting into one of his family's carriages, but Laura's words as soon as the door had shut were what came next in his mind.

"I never knew your mate would be male, Derek," she smirked, playful as ever, "I hope you do not take him the next moment you see him."

Though it could be hard to believe, Derek did have some sense of humor, once upon a time. "Actually, I was planning on taking him to your bedroom and locking the door." he leaned in, "I am sure you would *love* to have your sheets covered with our--"

"Come, dear brother," Derek's other sister Diana interjected, "Let us not jest about such things." a pause. "For we all know that it will be Henry's bedroom instead."

Henry, the second eldest son, who was sitting next to Laura, paled. "Sister!"

Derek remembers laughing with his sisters, before the memory fades into the very next morning, when Stiles calls on Derek. The image of Stiles' face forms first behind his eyelids, then his plain brown coat that, while not comparing to the splendor of his attire the previous night, still looked wonderful on him, complimenting the waistcoat and breeches nicely, conveying a woman's touch. Derek would have been alarmed by that observation, had his mate not said at the party he did not have a special someone (before his eyes briefly traveled over Derek's face). The fact that his mother most likely helped him made the werewolf hide a smile.

"Good morning," Stiles grinned, "Are you feeling better?"

Derek almost gave him a blank stare before remembering his slip. "Oh, yes. Much better, in fact."

"Well, that is," Stiles cleared his throat, "Great."

Derek's eyebrows furrowed. The boy's demeanor was off, and another inhale through his nose confirmed his suspicions. "What of you? Are you feeling alright?"

Stiles' fingers--so nimble and fair, just like the rest of him--worried at his coat a bit. Then...it was as if a dam had broken. "I was only thinking, if I am not being too forward--well, by being forward, I mean asking you to--that sounds as if I were talking to a woman though, and you are most definitely not a woman--not to be offensive, but wait, saying that you are like a woman would be insulting you, I suppose--not that I mean to offend you or anything, believe me, that is the last thing on my mind, because I feel quite close to you already--alright, that sounded odd, what I meant was you have become a dear friend of mine--if that is not too bold to say, for we did just meet last night, and--"

Derek put a hand on his arm, "Stiles."

"Wouldyouliketospendtodaywithme?"

"...what?"

"Ah, I mean, um, i-if you wanted to, for my father and mother have gone to visit a friend whilst we are staying here, and I've no one else to spend time with. Not that you would be a last resort or anything! Oh, that was rude of me, I was only saying that--"

"I would love to," Derek replied as he went on and on.

This stopped him mid-speech. "--things and--wait, what?"

"I said I would love to," Derek repeated, this time with a smile, "We are friends, are we not?"

Stiles' grin stretches from ear to ear. "Wonderful!"

The next thing Derek remembers, is Stiles laughing and talking adamantly about a variety of things, his brilliance shining like the spring sun overhead. The streets of New York seemed to gleam like diamonds around them, their light centering around the speaker, the most precious jewel of all. And Derek smiled, laughed, kept encouraging him to share more of what he knew, what he loved, what he hated. His mate's voice made his wolf rumble with happiness.

Ah, when he had the patience.

At around noon, after much wandering, the two stopped at a small cafe to eat. Stiles then turned the subject towards Derek himself. "What of you, Derek? I have yet to hear something about yourself or your family, while you have heard much about myself and mine."

Derek had not hesitated. Back then, caught in the sensation of finding his mate, with a living family and no real tragedy in his life, he shared all Stiles wanted to know. What his family was like, what were their names, some memories from his boyhood, what did he lke, what did he not like, what were his views on this subject or that one. Stiles was, and still is, the only person to take that information and do nothing but cherish it.

They spend the afternoon just as they had the morning, and before either of them know it, they have circled back round to Derek's home, and the sun has begun to set. The day had truly gotten away from them, it seemed. Derek was sorry to see it go, even more so when Stiles bade him goodbye.

"Wait," Derek caught him on the wrist, almost instantly letting go because of some glances in their direction, "May I see you tomorrow?"

Once again, Stiles smiled. "Of course."

They parted. That night could not pass by fast enough.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek's father knocked on his bedroom door just before dawn, while he was still sleeping. "Son, do you have a moment?"

He remembers glowering at the window. "Father, it is not even dawn yet. I hope it is urgent."

The door opened, and Derek pushed himself up while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Mr. Hale took a seat on the edge of his bed.

"I only wish to speak to you about the General's son."

"What of him?"

"Well, a messenger came by just a moment ago. Apparently, he has written to tell you that unfortunately, he cannot see you today."

Derek perked up immediately. "Why not?" he demanded.

Mr. Hale handed him the letter. Derek tore it open, using his claws as a letter opener like his brothers did sometimes when no one was present and they were in a moment of laziness. The letter thus read:

 

Derek,

I am truly sorry, but I am unable to meet you today. Unfortunately, not just today, either. You must be wondering how I could be awake at such an early hour, for I have told you in our conversations that I am something of a late riser. Yes, this does tie into my point. For you see, my father awakened me to remind me that we are to leave for Virginia in only an hour. It had completely slipped my mind yesterday while I was with you. We had only come up for so many days, and will not return to New York for several months.

I will miss you, Derek. I enclosed the address to our home so we may continue our correspondence. I hope you will write to me.

Sincerely,  
Stiles Stilinski.

 

Derek was tense before he even read it, but by the time he finished it, his eyes were blue and his wolf was howling in his head. Mr. Hale frowned in concern.

"I could smell it a mile away during the ball, Derek. i know what that boy is to you. And even if I did not, you spending an entire day with a rambling boy like him would have been indication enough, especially after only just meeting him. So tell me the address, and I will see if there are any available homes near it, any at all. If there are, we shall move there, and you may see him as often as you wish."

Derek had never felt so grateful to his father, and promptly gave the address. That was how, some time later, Derek was in Virginia, not 2 miles from Stiles' father's home. 

He cannot recall how much time had passed in that interval, but he could remember his wolf stirring every moment of it, desperate to see Mate's face again, perhaps roll around in that wonderful spicy scent as if there was no tomorrow. He may not get to achieve the latter part, but the day after settling into his new home, he achieved the former, plus more.

General Stilinski, his wife Georgia, and Stiles himself called on them. Derek was forcing himself to read a book, when a manservant came into the library announcing their presence. He tried not to run to the drawing room.

Stiles' face lit up upon seeing him. "Derek!"

"Hello again," Derek greeted, wolf barking and jumping around inside as Stiles' scent filled his nose. 

They smiled at each other for what seemed like a blissful eternity until General Stilinski cleared his throat quietly, breaking their eye contact to introduce himself and his wife. He looked as if he would have spoken to Derek some more from directly behind Stiles had Mr. Hale not spoken up.

"Derek, why don't you show Stiles around the gardens? I am sure they would be to his liking."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, father," Derek turned back to Stiles, "If you want to, that is."

Stiles nodded eagerly, and Derek happily led him outside behind the grand estate, where the family had been pleased to find many beautiful plants already growing there. Stiles had no real interest in botany, but he too appreciated the beauty of the blossoms. The picture of him smiling among the collage of blues, yellows, and pinks will be forever in Derek's mind.

"I missed you," he admitted during a rare moment when Stiles was too busy admiring the gardens to speak.

Their eyes met once more. Stiles' voice was soft when he returned the sentiment, "I missed you too," before raising to his normal volume, "By the way, you failed to mention your family was relocating to Virginia for the summer."

"Well, you never asked about my family's plans. Furthermore, you were talking too much for me to mention it."

Stiles feigned offense, and they sunk right back into their easy conversation. They spent time together in this manner for many, many days, the happiest of Derek's 19 years. For one beautiful summer, all he knew was Stiles and joy.

Until fall came, and suddenly Stiles stopped speaking to him. In fact, he severed all acquaintance, refusing to answer even when Derek went to his door to ask what was the matter. Over and over, the beta replayed the last week, trying to see what had caused such an abrupt ignorance. Nothing came to him, not even an inkling. In fact, he and Stiles had never been closer.

September passed in this agitated state. His family had tried time and again to ease his worries, but in vain, for they knew not the cause of Stiles' behavior either, and therefore could offer little comfort. In fact, all they could do was keep him from the house during the full moon cycle, which they had never spoken of again thankfully.

Finally, in November, after much worrying and aggravating on Derek's part, he saw Stiles walking to his father's house. Anger, relief, and some primal sensations because of his wolf flooded his chest. He all but ran to the door and outside to catch up with him.

"Stiles!"

Stiles' heart picked up, as well as his pace. But Derek never had any trouble keeping up with him--it was unsurprisingly the other way around--and this instance was especially no exception. Soon, Derek was in front of him, clutching his arms to keep him where he was.

"Why have you been ignoring me?"

Silence. Derek tried his best to keep his claws to himself at the lack of response.

"Please. Tell me."

Stiles still did not answer. Derek could not hide his growl of impatience and frustration. He only politely asked once.

"Stiles, so help me--"

"I love you."

And Derek's rage completely left him. His flashing eyes stopped flashing. His growing claws--they were coming out despite his efforts--instantly retracted. His heart stuttered against Stiles' fast rythm.

"You...what?" was his intelligent response.

Stiles met his eyes at last. He looked just as tortured as Derek had felt for an entire month. "I know it's wrong. But I...I love you. As in, in love, as a man loves a woman. I tried, you must know that I tried, to repress it, but I just...I couldn't. I thought that if I stayed away from you for a while, then maybe I could see reason, but I was never good at that, and even now I...well, I..." his hands, his beautiful hands, rested on Derek's chest. "I want to kiss you. More than that, I want to spend my life with you. No, I am not lying. I have been thinking about your face being the first thing I should see every morning, and the last thing I see before sleeping."

Derek tried to get his voice working again, or at least kiss him, since there were no passerby to witness it, but his body refused to move, even when his wolf slammed against the corners of his mind. Stiles was obviously discouraged by the lack of response, and bit his lip, a habit he never seemed to be able to let go of.

"I am so sorry Derek, I never meant for this to happen, and I know what *would* happen if we were caught, so please, just forget that I--"

Ah! There was his voice! "Why would I wish to forget?"

"...w-what?"

Derek pulled him ever closer, pushing their lips together. Stiles gave a small squeak--which Derek would have teased him mercilessly about, had their lips been apart--but afterwards his hesitancy was destroyed, and he returned the gesture whole-heartedly.

The kiss was much too short before Stiles pulled back, shock written all over his face. "So you...I-I mean I just...I wanted to make certain that you were--"

"I love you too, Stiles," Derek confirmed for him, before pulling him back into another, hopefully longer kiss. Stiles sighed contentedly, sinking against him.

After that day, whenever they were alone together, they would kiss and whisper words of affection as lovers do. It was like something out of a romance novel, beautiful and joyous. But even the happiest dreams must end, and Derek will never forget the night when it did.


	2. 1842: Part 2 of 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words cannot express the wonderful surprise I felt when I saw how much love you guys have for this story after only one chapter! Thank you all so much! I am truly grateful, and I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story as much as I love to write it! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Derek, looking back, can pinpoint exactly where it all went wrong. It was not their love, no. They had made it practically their jobs to avoid any further misunderstandings (which usually meant Stiles going on twice as more ramblings than what was normal for him, but Derek had had the patience for it), so there was nothing but mutual love and affection between the couple.

It was them.

'Them' meaning, the Argents.

Yes, even back then, the Argents were there, newly settled into America from France. Derek came face to face with the small branch of the family at a New Years' ball. He and Stiles were in the corner conversing--rather, Stiles rambled and Derek listened with a smile--when his father came over to introduce them.

Immediately, Derek could smell something was wrong. Mr. Hale's scent was spiking with unfamiliar nerves, and his smile was forced. Then there were the Argents themselves. Mr. Jean Argent and his wife Mrs. Marie Argent, with their daughter Antoinette and son Claude. Derek sometimes compares their faces to Allison, and every time he does the family resemblence hits him like a freight train. Claude's dark hair was the exact shade as hers down to a fault, and Mr. Argent was no different. His wife had passed on her dark wheat colored hair to Antoinette. But their eyes...their eyes were all the same. They had stared Derek down, to the point where Stiles had gently tapped their feet together to silently ask if he was ok. That was the only time Derek had not responded with an affirmative, and Stiles' heart picked up as his own had.

Still, Derek smiled at the family, bowing and shaking hands when appropriate. Stiles did the same when he was introduced. Derek almost forgot his worries when he saw his mate acting all nice and proper. He was clearly not made for it. But the humor retreated right back when he turned to the family again, responding to the thick-accented small talk that Mr. Argent had commenced with him.

Thankfully, the conversation lasted only so long before Antoinette murmured to her mother something in French, and the family departed. After they were well out of earshot, Derek rounded on his father. 

"What is it?" he asked in a low voice so Stiles wouldn't hear.

"I will tell you and the pack later," Mr. Hale murmured back, before smiling at Stiles and withdrawing as well.

"Something is wrong," Stiles said, quick and sharp, like he did whenever he wanted answers and would not rest until he got them.

Derek shook his head, heading for the door that led outside, for the room had suddenly become too suffocating. Stiles followed, concern obvious in his scent and demeanor. Once the door was shut and they were out of sight, Stiles cupped his face.

"What is it?" he asked quietly, breath as warm as his hands on Derek's skin.

"My father refuses to tell me, but...they just...they seem--"

"Like serial murderers?"

Derek's eyes widened. When they were alone, Stiles lost the filter he usually possessed, (today, Derek misses that filter so much...) and he usually described things in the strangest way possible, but his observation had actually matched Derek's that night. "Yes."

"Well, perhaps a relative had been in the Reign of Terror, passed it down the family line. Is murder intent hereditary?"

Stiles launched into a ramble about how different traits of people were probably inherited, giving multiple examples of people who seemed to get their negative or positive traits from their parents, and how would that work, and--

And nothing, because Derek kisses him, mostly because he was grateful that Stiles could be like his good old self even when a supposedly serial murdering family had just spoken to them, and maybe also to occupy his mouth, for they really had just spoken to a family that looked and smelled like serial murderers and Derek needed some quiet to process his father's reactions and nervousness.

The kiss was pleasant, as all of Stiles' kisses were, warm as the summer sun and sweet like honey. Derek pushed him gently backwards until he had Stiles pressed against the wall, heart pounding in sync with his. Derek licked open his mouth for the first time that night. Before, he had been too cautious with pushing Stiles away, but it seemed he had been wrong in doing so, for his advance had the vigorous response of Stiles clutching him impossibly closer and moaning softly into his mouth.

Derek should have been more careful, he knew that now. He should have been listening to his surroundings, not just Stiles' pleasured sounds, should have been focusing his nose on not only that spicy scent that had the tinge of arousal. Should have...well, it did not matter now, did it? For it had happened, and there was no changing it.

What exactly *had* happened? Derek had not found out until later. A week later, to be precise, just a couple of days after the full moon cycle had ended.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek remembers that night like one remembers getting stabbed in the gut by a sharp knife dripping with poison. It had been a lovely January day, and the evening was no different. The moon glowed brightly among the twinkling stars in the sky, looming over the Earth and making the freshly fallen snow shine like miniature diamands were scattered along it. Stiles was with him in their own special little place, a clearing in the woods just beyond the Hale's Virginia estate. He had requested after dinner while the party played cards in the house to admire the moon and stars as he loved to do.

They were together, holding hands and savoring each other's presence. At some point, Stiles leaned against him and whispered, "Derek...how long are we going to be like this?"

Derek let go of his hand to put an arm around him. Placing a kiss to his temple, he smiled and whispered back, "As if I'd ever let you get away."

Stiles grinned, and their lips brushed, promising something more intimate before a voice as cold as the snow around their feet interrupted them.

"Well, well, look at what we have here. A werewolf and his little bitch."

The voice's accent was unmistakably French, young and male. Stiles and Derek startled, the latter not believing he had not sensed Claude Argent coming. Not only had the boy seen them, but--

Wait. He said...

Claude smirked at what must of been Derek's shocked face. "Oui, little beta. I know your family's secret." he pointed the crossbow he was carrying at them. "Is this your mate? I never imagined there was a possibility of two males being together. Society will not like this, no?"

Derek's senses now on high alert, he could detect Antoinette coming up just behind them. The teenager giggled in a sickly satisfied way, "Not at all, not at all! Perhaps we should...fix it."

"Beta? Werewolf?" Stiles blinked, "Derek, what are they going on about?"

"You have not told him?" now Antoinette was laughing outright. "Is the little puppy scared of his toy running off?"

Derek growled, eyes glowing blue. He tried to ignore Stiles' horrified gasp and whisper of his name as he shifted. They would sort this all out later, but first he had to get rid of these killers.

"Ah, ah," Claude cackled, "You should not let your flank go unguarded. My finger could slip, like...this!"

Stiles choked. The scent of his blood filled the clearing. Derek shouted his name, catching him just as he slumped to the ground. The Argents only continued to laugh coldly, pointing their weapons at Derek, now.

Honestly, Derek can't remember what happened next. He figures that he did what Stiles called "wolfed out", because the next thing he knew, he was shifted back to human form with blood all over him. Claude was just escaping, cursing in French and holding his side, his sister's corpse left behind in the snow. Derek would have chased after him, was about to, until Stiles wheezed and nothing else existed.

Derek rushed over, scooping him up bridal style, brain going a mile a minute. He had to get him back to the house. Perhaps then his father could change him, and he would heal, he'd be alright. Just needed to get to the house.

"Hold on Stiles," he whispered, and started to run.

But the wound was too deep. Even with Derek's speeds, he arrived at the house with a corpse in his arms. He still has nightmares about the blank, lifeless expression on once so lively and radiant a face. Every time he does, he either calls Stiles or--more often than not--goes right into the boy's window to simply stare at the sight of him breathing for a couple of hours, then sleep right next to him.

However, sometimes not even the Stiles he knows now can erase the sight of the dead Stiles he knew then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again!


	3. 1912

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek meets Stiles a second time on the RMS Titanic, 1912.
> 
> (Jack and Rose? Think again.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I put them on the Titanic...I'm sorry, I couldn't resist! Oh, and for the plot hole about how the Stilinski family lived on, because Stiles was apparently the only son, well General Stilinski had a brother, who had a son. Just wanted to clear that one up for you! :D
> 
> And genderswap. Yeah, Stiles is a girl. I used Rachele Brook Smith as my image for female!Stiles.

Words could not and still cannot express the grief and agony of the years that passed after Stiles' death. Derek was unable to attend his funeral, for the sight of Stiles' grave would surely have killed what was left of him. He began to contemplate that prospect, death becoming a friendly thought in his mind, when the Hale family decided to relocate back to New York, then traveled to Maine and lived there for some years. As 1900 rolled around, they were found out of the country, moving to Ireland, where Derek spent time as he had before, sitting in his room and staring at nothing.

12 years later saw the family standing in front of the biggest ship to ever sail. Though the splendor and general size of the RMS Titanic should have enthralled him, Derek only gazed vacantly at it, picturing how Stiles would have staggered comically into his arms at the sight of such an enormous piece of machinery.

His heart rips yet again at the thought of his beloved mate, images surfacing under their chains. His wolf whimpered as they flashed behind his now closed eyes, ending with Stiles' pale face, glassy eyes looking endlessly at the sky, blood all over his stomach. He could hear General Stilinski and his wife cry out in terror and loss, could smell the--

"Derek."

Derek's eyes opened as he felt a hand on his arm to accompany the soft female tones of his human cousin, Violet. Her face is muddled in Derek's memory--many things were during those years after Stiles was cold in the ground--but he could remember her brown leather gloves, and her quiet voice.

"It is time for us to board."

Derek nodded slowly, following his pack up and into the ship. He vaguely remembers hearing his father later on once they were all settled into their rooms talking about an old friend of theirs deciding at the last minute not to come aboard.

"Why ever not?" Aunt Emily, Uncle Peter's mate, sounded incredulous. "This is the most beautiful ship to sail, and certainly the largest!"

"Apparently a family friend convinced him not to come."

"Who was the friend?"

"Some sort of medical man. They only referred to him as 'The Doctor'."

Laura snorted, unladylike as ever in the presence of only pack, "*The* Doctor? Talk about ego."

Then everything is heartbreak and grief again, and all Derek can recall is the evening of their first day on board, when he smelled something he had not in almost 70 years, and his life began again.

He spots her--yes, *her*, he couldn't believe it himself at first, but his nose was never wrong--walking into the grand ballroom, brown hair put up in a sort of intricate style, wearing a bright silk yellow dress that shone in the well-lit room. She was speaking to a woman who could only be her mother, gloved hands making those wild gestures he knew so well before her mother forced them down to her sides.

The Hales who were werewolves all sensed her too, knowing Stiles' scent almost as well as Derek did. Uncle Peter halted his advance across the room to remind him of a minor detail in a hushed voice.

"He--she," Peter shook his head, "Ah, that's going to frustrate me, I'll tell you what--*she* won't remember you. So act natural as best as you can."

Derek nodded, only just hearing his words, for he was too focused on this new Stiles in front of him, like Heaven was giving him another chance and he really shouldn't waste time. "Yes, I got it."

Uncle Peter glowered, "Uh-huh. Sure you do. Just...try not to freak hi--her out, ok?"

"Yeah."

Uncle Peter shook his head and let him go. Derek strode across the ballroom, and his wolf howled in delight when familiar chocolate brown eyes met his.

"Hello," she smiled, "And what is a handsome face like yours doing all alone in a place like this?"

"Stephanie! Do not say such impolite things!" her mother scolded, curtseying to Derek, "I am so sorry, sir! She never knows how to control her mouth!"

Derek's heart flutters, because that is just the Stiles he remembers. "It's quite alright. I don't mind at all."

And Stiles--er, Stephanie--is smiling at him again, and he's smiling back, and nothing could ruin this moment, because he has his mate back, and he will *not* let him--her meet the same fate as before.

"What?"

"Hm?"

Stephanie giggled, "You're staring at me. Is there something on my face?"

"No," Derek grinned, "I just wasn't expecting someone so beautiful to be here."

Stiles wonders today how that deputy actually fell for it, well, he did too, once upon a time! Because Stephanie does not mock him for that failed attempt at flirting, instead she just grins all the more. "Well, you're not too bad yourself, sir." she holds out her hand. "My name is Stephanie Stilinski. What's yours?"

"Derek Hale," Derek shakes her hand. It is gloved, but still so very warm.

"Hale..." Stephanie looks confused for a moment, "I've heard that name before..." and that same gleam of recognition from 70 years ago is back. "Oh! My family, years ago, knew a family by that same name! Well, it wasn't the Virginia branch of our family tree. I'm from California, you see, and we were just taking a little vacation in Ireland, because Ireland is really beautiful and we needed some time off from the factories, because we own factories over there, and we thought it might be fun to take a trip home on the maiden voyage of this huge ship, which I almost fell over when I saw, just in case you were wondering about that." she tilted her head. "I think I lost my point somewhere in there."

Derek couldn't stop smiling.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Derek sought her out, trying to make it look like an accident, and that he wasn't actually tracking her down. Back then, he didn't have much of a stalker streak, and his Uncle Peter's words really had reached him to a certain extent, specifically the 'do not freak her out' part.

If Stephanie noticed that he practically hunted her, she didn't say. Instead, she grinned at him. "Mr. Hale! Good morning!"

"Good morning to you as well, and please, call me Derek."

"Then you can't go around calling me Ms. Stilinski, Derek." wow, he did not know he wanted to hear her say his name until right then.

It was quiet between them, Stephanie opting to stare out at the open sea from the deck, hands on the railing. She didn't wear gloves that day, so her small female hands were exposed. Derek risked looking at them only a moment before following her gaze.

Yes, he was at sea. The ocean salt was in his nose. The sun was in his face. The sound of people milling about behind him reached his ears. Instead of being half-there, he was completely present. To this day, Derek still ponders on the drastic effect a mate has on a werewolf's awareness.

"Derek," Stephanie broke through his thoughts, "What are you going to do when you get off this ship?"

"Well, my family and I are planning to settle down in California. We've secured a house there." Derek looked at her. "Perhaps we will see each other."

Stephanie hummed thoughtfully. Derek turned the question back on her. "What about you?"

"Me?" Stephanie shrugged, "Most likely go back to our home in California as well. But we are staying a couple of nights in New York first. It's a long way to go. That's why I was against the idea of coming on this ship at first, because it seemed unreasonable to have to travel all that way across the country while we could simply take another ship or two. But no, Mother wants to see America, and Father is not going to deny her. And now that I think about it," a wistful smile appeared on her face, "That might not be so bad. I like seeing new things."

"I bet some men don't like such a curious woman."

"No." she met his eyes. "What makes you so different, Derek?"

"Curiosity can either inspire brilliance or foolishness, which in the end can be one in the same. I don't find a crime in a person wanting to know things. Women and men are equal to me." it was true. Derek had grown up with a pack that promotes the individual and encouraged equality. His father did an amazing job as the Alpha in raising them.

"Really?" Stephanie eyed him in wonder, "Well, that is going to happen one day. A world where men and women are equal."

"If someone as opinionated and headstrong as you is involved, I have no doubt it will."

"I don't know if that was an insult or a compliment, but I'm going to go with compliment and thank you for your kindness."

"You're welcome."

Stephanie talked his ear off for a good hour or so, sometimes letting him slip in a word. It was so much like how they used to speak that Derek had to stop himself from calling her by the name she used to go by.

The next day had another such encounter, only this time Derek was with Laura and Stephanie with her mother.

"Oh, hello Derek! Who is your friend?" Stephanie grinned.

"This is my sister, Laura Hale," Derek introduced.

"You must be Stephanie Stilinski," Laura shook Stephanie's hand, "Derek refuses to talk of anyone else!"

Derek pinched her arm, to which she subtly nudged him. Stephanie, thankfully, took the comment as a joke instead of truth, proceeding to introduce Mrs. Stilinski to Laura and formally to Derek, since he and the other woman had only spoken the once and very briefly.

The four walked around the upper deck together, Derek and Stephanie side by side and grinning at each other as good friends who had known each other for years would. Laura certainly became just that to his mate, for they both believed in women's rights and shared similar tastes in a variety of other subjects. By the end of the conversation, Stephanie extended an invitation to both of them for dinner that evening. She was met with no objections, and happily walked off with her mother, chatting the poor woman's ear off.

"I like her," Laura decided, "Your wolf has good tastes."

"Mm-hm...by the way, thanks a lot for that comment you made earlier. Do you have any idea what could have happened if she took it seriously?"

Laura patted his arm, feigning sympathy. "Dear, darling brother of mine, you already have that stalker look about you. It couldn't get any worse."

Derek glowered at her, and she laughed loud enough to earn a few glances in their direction. When she calmed down, she stared at Derek with a fond smile that pained him to think of today until he returned her gaze. "What?"

"Nothing, just..." Laura squeezed his arm, "It's great to have you back, little brother."

She kissed his cheek, and they continued on their way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dinner with Mr. Stilinski, his wife, Stephanie's brother Frederic, and Stephanie herself was not as bad as it sounded. Derek had Laura as support, for one, and two, Stephanie was the only one besides her who actually spoke to him instead of awkwardly staring at him. Because if a Stilinski did not talk, they usually just stared. And stared. And stared. And stared and did they EVER blink?

The wine seemed to loosen at least one of them up though, because Mr. Stilinski started speaking to him at last. "So, Derek, what do you think of this magnificent ship?"

"Magnificent is a word that I would definitely use, sir," Derek smiled charmingly, noticing with an inward smirk that Mrs. Stilinski blushed at it with Stephanie hiding a smile of her own in her glass. "I have never seen anything like it."

"No one has," Mr. Stilinski agreed, "She's definitely beautiful."

"Yes," Derek's eyes strayed to Stephanie, "She is."

Laura gave a subtle roll of the eyes. If Derek had anything to compare that moment too, well, try to imagine himself as Scott, Stephanie as Allison, and Laura as Stiles, with everyone else not knowing what was going on at all. But that was a scenario he rather wouldn't use, because he was certainly not a teenager then, and was not below normal intelligence.

Anyway, the rest of dinner is a memory that Derek usually does not dwell on, because nothing else happened of true importance. However, after dinner, Derek watched the men retire to the smoke room. He murmured to Laura in a voice too low for normal hearing to pick up, "Tell her to meet me on the deck."

"You're not going to molest her, are you?"

Derek glared at her briefly, ignoring her smirk as he excused himself and made his way to the meeting point. Not a few minutes later, Stephanie was walking towards him, grinning mischeviously.

"May I ask why Laura told me that you wanted to see me?"

"I just thought it would be nice to watch the stars with a friend."

Stephanie giggled, "So you send me a secret message through your sister? Sounds like something lovers would do instead."

Derek noticed her heart beat pick up and her scent spike with something akin to hope. It made his own heart beat faster. "Do you think us lovers, then?"

"We have barely met!"

Not true, but to her, he supposed it was. "So we aren't?"

"Why are you asking me? Do *you* think we are?"

"I asked you first."

Stephanie laughed. "Well, fine then, I suppose that's true." she looked up at the stars and all around her. No one was there but a few staff members who knew nothing of them as it was vice versa. "I think..." she turned back to Derek and stepped closer to him. "I am with a handsome man who is different from any other I have known in my life, on the largest ship ever to sail, called the Ship of Dreams. Therefore, it is only fitting to live this dream for a little while." as soon as she finished speaking, she grabbed him and tugged him into a kiss.

If there was anything Derek would remember about Stephanie, it was her kisses. She was always rough, battling for control over it every single time. And she never failed to leave his wolf panting for more of her. She had womanly wiles, and she exploited them maliciously.

Their lips parted only an inch or so, both panting softly. Stephanie entwined their fingers.

"Follow me," she whispered.

She had swept Derek into the ship, avoiding detection by hiding through doors neither of them had noticed before. They stole kisses along the way, laughing with each other as they explored the unsinkable ship. Derek remembers his heart swelling ten times bigger, and thinking back, he chuckles a little at what a romantic idiot he had been.

That blissful night was April 13th, 1912.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The morning of April 14th, 1912 passed without Derek's knowledge, for he and Stephanie finally parted at an insane hour of the night. Or, early morning, depending on how one looked at it. The afternoon of April 2nd, 1912, was when he was awakened by his littlest cousins, Richard and Jenny, Uncle Peter's children. And waking someone up in toddler language basically means jumping on the person.

They were merciless. Derek groaned as they bounced up and down on his back, crying, "Get up, Derry! Get up!"

"Mmnh," Derek grunted, turning over and capturing one under each arm. "Derry's not ready to get up yet," he whined as they shrieked with laughter.

At this point, Henry peeked in. "There's a Stephanie Stilinski to see you."

Derek's eyes opened wide, and he shot up. "What?!"

"Whoa, that really *does* work," Henry muttered, "I was only kidding, but seeing as you're awake now, you can get up and go seek her out yourself."

Derek groaned, glaring at his brother full blast before doing as he said. Richard and Jenny giggled as they ran off to their mother.

However, he and Stephanie had not met until that evening, once more on the deck, because both of them wished to spend time with their family as well, seeing as their voyage would end soon and they wanted to remember their time on the ship as sane, polite people as well as crazy lovers running around the ship like children.

Stephanie was leaning on the railing, looking up at the stars, and Derek came up behind her, encircling her waist with his arms. She grinned over her shoulder at him, looking radiant under the moon. "Good evening, Derek."

Derek kissed her hair in return. They spent a little while watching the waves gently hit the iron of the ship and the stars twinkling against the water, simply relishing in each other and how wonderful the world was at that moment.

Then, a huge block of white blocked their view. Derek yanked Stephanie back as a chunk of ice fell and broke right where they had stood.

"An iceburg," Stephanie whispered, "Did we...did we hit?"

The ship jarred threateningly, confirming her fears. For a half an hour, nothing happened, and the couple believed everything was fine. They laughed in relief, before Stephanie gestured to the door. "Do you want to go inside?"

"Hm..." he pulled her back in, "Let's stay a little longer."

She didn't argue with him, and they shared multiple kisses. Stephanie didn't protest when his lips traveled to her neck. She wrapped her arms around him, sighing his name, surrounding him in her scent, and oh, he had been ready to bite her. He wasn't an Alpha, so he couldn't turn her, but he would mark her as his mate, and they would be fully connected as they should have been 70 years ago.

But Derek was forced to stop as other scents caught his nose. Panic, thick in the air, and water. Lots and lots of water.

They had had only a minute before the deck was filled with screaming people. Their hands clutched each other.

"Follow me!" Derek shouted over the crowd, and Stephanie nodded, face pale with terror. Together they pushed through the crowd. The ship began to tilt just as he and Stephanie had reached the back railing. Then it was head first into the water. People were screaming, falling, *dying* around them, and all they could do was--

"Hold on," he told her, over and over, "Just hold on. Don't you dare let go."

They grasped the railing, Stephanie's eyes filling with tears as she helplessly watched the death around her.

"Are we going to die?" she choked.

"No," Derek replied firmly, "We are going to make this out alive, and you are going to see your parents again." he was a bit worried for his family, but he trusted the werewolves to have the survival instincts and abilities to get everyone out safely. Besides--

"Then you'll marry me, right?"

...he'll admit it only to himself. If they hadn't been in a life or death situation, Derek probably would have fallen over. But he didn't have time to dwell on it, and he certainly didn't have time to hesitate. So he answered with just as much certainty, "Then I'll marry you, yes." he touched their foreheads. "Just don't let go. Whatever you do, don't let go."

Stephanie shook her head vigorously, "I won't! I promise! You better not, either!"

"Of course not."

The ship split in two. People screamed impossibly louder, but not Stephanie, and certainly not Derek. He admired his mate for biting her lip and doing her best to stay strong after only a moment's weakness.

"Stephanie, you know how to swim, right?" Derek asked, watching as they sunk closer and closer to the water.

"Yes."

"Then I'll see you at the surface."

"I'll be floating."

Wow, even then she could crack a joke. She had been quite the extraordinary woman. If only Stiles were still half as funny...

They hit the water. He'll never forget the sensation of sudden cold, stabbing his body like a thousand knives, shoving the air from his lungs, leaving him momentarily motionless before his wolf kicked in with survival instincts. In no time, he was breaking the surface and shouting Stephanie's name.

"Over here!" she shouted, waving among all the others a small distance from him. They swam towards each other, meeting halfway.

"Are you ok?" he asked, grasping her hand.

"Despite the freezing water and the fact that I don't know if my parents are alive, yes, I'm alright," Stephanie shivered, "How are you so warm right now?"

Derek didn't exactly *feel* warm, but his wolf was probably radiating heat. He decided not to answer that question, and looked around to find something to get Stephanie on. With his being a werewolf, he could survive the cold a lot better than she could, and he couldn't let her get hypothermia.

"Come on," he tugged her, leading the way through the scrambling people towards a floating piece of furniture. It looked like a headboard. He hoisted Stephanie on it.

"What about you?" Stephanie asked, teeth chattering. But her face was flushing with blood, a good sign that she was not getting hypothermia.

"Trust me, I'll be fine," Derek told her, holding her hand again, "Now we just need to wait until the boats come back looking for survivors. You have to stay awake, understand me?"

"You really love barking orders, don't you?" Stephanie mumbled.

"I'm being serious, Stephanie."

"Yes, yes, I know. Stay awake. But let's not wait in silence, ok?"

"...there are people screaming all around us, and you're saying it's *quiet*?"

"I mean between us. Like, where are we getting married? What should my dress look like? Coud Laura possibly be my Maid of Honor? Because she is my first female best friend besides my mom. I would like to put in that I wish to get married on a beach."

Derek listened to her babble on, shaking her whenever her speech started to slur. He searched for his family in the meantime, because he definitely sensed his Alpha was near, and very much alive. Indeed, there he was, not too far from Derek and Stephanie, with the grown males of the pack around him. The females and children must have gotten away safely, then. He sighed in relief, giving a brief wave to his eldest brother, Elijah, who waved back and told the others where he was. Mr. Hale turned and gave a nod to his son, not turning back around until he saw the nod in return.

"Is that your father?" Stephanie regained his attention.

"Yes. He's with my two brothers, my uncle, and some of my cousins."

"Whoa, big family."

"We like to be together."

"That's nice."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek honestly didn't remember falling asleep, or even feeling tired. But he awakened to Stephanie's cold hands, and looked up to see her blue lips. She smelled dead, but he refused to believe it. She couldn't be dead. Not again.

"Stephanie?" he shook her once, twice. No response. So he tried again. "Stephanie?"

His vision started to blur, and his wolf howled. "Stiles!"

His brothers had to drag him from the body and onto the boat. As they drifted away, Derek watched Stephanie dream of their wedding until he couldn't see her anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3 sorry their time together this time was so brief! Next time it'll be longer, I promise!
> 
> Oh and also, sorry if it was a bit bleh. XP it's like, 2 in the morning right now and I've never had a beta for my writing.


	4. 1939: Part 1 of 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hollywood, 1939. Ok, it's not the Twilight Zone, but Derek does meet Stiles a third time in a prestigous hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Once again, you have amazed me with your love! Every time I see how much you guys like the story, it just makes me want to update as fast as I can! So here it is, chapter 4!
> 
> And for those of you who are wondering, "When is Stiles going to stop dying?" well, I'm going to stop when we get to the Stiles we all know and love currently :D I have a whole thing planned for it! I just have to kill him a bunch of times so I can get the reckless-with-a-hunter's-daughter-Derek.
> 
> I hope you enjoy, and thank you all so much again! <3

Derek retained his sanity just like before, because he and Stiles had not been completely connected. The only thing that kept him going for the next 26 years was the hope that if Stiles had come back in another form once, perhaps he would do it again.

It started with a newspaper article.

Derek's family had moved to Hollywood in 1939, attracted by all the glitz and the glamor as many people were, and still are. Actors and actresses roaming the streets, flashing camera, and adoring fans were all part of the daily chaos Derek remembers enduring when walking with his siblings and/or cousins through the streets. At least their house was a little ways from the city, so he could actually get to sleep at night.

His father had been the one with the newspaper, reading it during the breakfast that his mother had made, like something out of a 50's commercial (obviously that comparison was made later). It was quiet at the table, everyone glancing occasionally at Derek, who was radiating his usual gloom and picking at his food, until Mr. Hale's hand clamped on his shoulder.

"Derek."

Derek looked up with the rest of the pack. Mr. Hale had the expression of a man who had just won big time at a casino in Vegas. He grinned full blast at Derek, shoving the newspaper into his hands.

The headline read: FAMOUS ACTRESS OVERNIGHT? EDNA STILINSKI TELLS US HER STORY!

"Stilinski," Laura breathed in disbelief, looking at the picture of a smiling woman dressed in a shiny dress and feather boa. But standing on one side of her was... "Derek, look!"

She pointed to a teenaged boy standing next to Edna. His hair was gelled back, with a fine cut suit, half-smiling at the cameras with hands in his pockets, all nice and proper. It was black and white, but his face was unmistakable.

And Derek laughed. He laughed long and loud. It was partly hysterical, because HELLO, Stiles was back, and another part just out of the comical sight of seeing him looking so primped and groomed.

"She's staying at that big hotel everyone's been talking about," his mother read over his shaking shoulder.

Derek knew exactly which building she was talking about, for it was always hard to miss. His family grinned as he got up from his chair, laughing all the way to his room with the article still in his hands. He had to get dressed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Starlight Hotel was big, really big, but Derek used that chaos of flashing cameras as his guide, checking out which celebrities were being subjected to the bright lights. He passed a least 2 before finally arriving at Edna's little group. She was a brunette in person, with loads of make up on, which back then was what someone had to do. Her dress was ruby red, with a white feather boa. She smiled and answered the questions of the reporters like a natural, but Derek wasn't paying attention to that, for Stiles was not with her.

Frantically, Derek turned this way and that, searching and sniffing the air. Where could he be--

He looked to his right, where Stiles was talking to the receptionist, Thomas McCall, not too far away. Had Derek known who he knew now, he probably would have talked a little with that receptionist too, but seing as Scott did not exist then, and his mate was *right there*, it didn't even occur to him. Instead, he strode over to the actress's son and tapped him on the shoulder.

Stiles turned, lovely chocolate brown eyes connecting directly with Derek's hazel. And the first thing he says to Derek is:

"Look buddy, my mom's over there."

It's so good to hear his voice again, even if it's laced with something that has Brooklyn origins, that Derek doesn't really process the words. But when he does, he just raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm a reporter?"

"Are you?"

"Do I have a camera in my hands?"

"Well, no--"

"Do I *look* like I'm a reporter?"

Stiles looked uncomfortable. "Sorry, it's just...you can never be too sure, y'know?" he held out his hand, "Can we start over? The name's Stiles. Stiles Stilinski."

Derek shakes it. Will he ever get tired of that warmth? "Derek Hale. Stiles short for something?"

"It's a nickname. My family's had it since like, 1800 or somethin'. I have another name, but it's not really one I'd like people to know about. Not that I'm insulting my mother or anything, because insulting your mother is bad, and I love my mother, despite the fact that she's not really there a lot anymore, but it's alright, 'cause it's her job and stuff, and I'm rambling aren't I?" Stiles tilted his head. "Yeah, pretty sure I'm rambling. And you haven't stopped me yet." his eyebrow raised. "In fact, you're grinnin' like I just gave you a million bucks!...does that mean I can keep talking?"

"By all means."

Oh, when he had the patience...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

But of course, that was only the beginning of their meetings, because over the course of the week, he was within Stiles' little circle of friends, containing one other member, a boy named Gregory Whittemore. The memory of him makes Derek look at Jackson and nod to himself, thinking, 'Oh yeah, he's adopted.'

Because Gregory, despite being rich, was nothing but kind, not a totaly snob in the slightest. He had dreams of inventing the next big thing, and would show drawings to both Stiles and Derek whenever they went over his house the second week after Derek's coming into their lives, making grand gestures with his hands as he described the objects on the paper, with a passionate grin and dreams in his eyes. Later on, he would also prove to be a very useful ally.

Right now though, it's a Friday night, and the trio decided to spend the night once again at Gregory's. The summer air wafted through the open window of the top floor window, creating a nice breeze. The boys were chuckling to themselves, handing Derek beer after beer, because a werewolve's alcohol tolerance was unreal, and it amused them to no end.

Gregory shook his head incredulously, adjusting his glasses. "Derek, you're like--I don't even know what!"

Stiles grinned, throwing an arm around Derek's shoulders. He had gotten a little tipsy himself. It made him smell kind of weird, but he was leaning in close, and that was just fine with Derek. "Yeah. You got a--a super brain. Yeah, tha's what it is. Super brain."

"I think you've had enough," Derek took the bottle from his mate's hand, "For one night."

"Nyawwww, never lemme have fun," Stiles whined, sinking into his shoulder.

"That's because whenever you think of something that's 'fun', it ends up being a horrible idea!" Gregory retorted for Derek.

"Nu-uuuuuh!"

"Stiles, just go to sleep," Derek sighed.

"Don' wanna..." Stiles mumbled, but in a few seconds he is snoring away against Derek's neck. And the werewolf is completely and utterly ok with this.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Derek startled, eyes blazing into Gregory's. The teenager refuses to look intimidated. "I've seen the way you look at him," he continued, crossing his arms, "You should tell him."

"I should *tell*him? After only a couple of weeks knowing him?"

"Love doesn't need much to grow, does it?" Gregory shrugged, "I've never been in love, but that's what all the movies are saying. And I've read books too! Romeo and Juliet were married like, 2 days after meeting!"

"But they both committed suicide."

Gregory huffed, "Well, that's Shakespeare! He loves to kill off his characters! That's why they call it a *tragedy*!"

Derek only stared at him. He groaned. "Just tell him how you feel, ok?"

"How do you know he won't reject me?"

"...'cause he looks at you all special too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	5. 1939: Part 2 of 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gregory proves his worth as an awesome friend. Did Derek mention it's obvious that Jackson's adopted?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally started writing this chapter a few seconds after posting chapter 4, because my muse is on a roll here, and considering this was completely spur of the moment fan fiction, I don't want to lose the plot while it's still going in my head!
> 
> Hope you guys like Gregory! I love putting in a few familiar names here and there, like Thomas McCall too!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy! :D

Gregory kept pestering him for another 2 days before Derek finally decided to shut him up and just go ahead with it, because either way he was going to confess. This is only sooner than he had expected.

The trio were on their way to Derek's house, because both Stiles and Gregory wanted to meet his family and see where he lived, when the beta stopped and turned to Stiles. "I have something I want to tell you, Stiles."

Gregory smiled in anticipation, his heart beat speeding up. Stiles tilted his head, a gesture for him to continue.

Derek took a deep breath. Even after two times of confessing, it had been Stiles doing it first, so this was the first time Derek had actually stepped up to the plate. Yes, he will admit, he had been nervous. Really nervous.

Really, really, really nervous.

The point is, he did say it. Eventually. "I'm in love with you."

Stiles' mouth dropped, and Gregory did a victory dance behind his back. Derek's hands shook--literally, they had actually shaken--so he hid them in his pockets, clearing his throat awkwardly. "So. Yeah."

Oh, if the Stiles that Derek knows now had heard about this, he would probably be rolling on the floor. But that Stiles had not been laughing. He did smile, though. A big, bright smile that lit up the world.

"Here I thought I was all by my lonesome," he murmured, before capturing Derek's lips. Gregory shouted victoriously beside them, saying that it was about time. Unfortunately, the next thing he said was a warning that a car was coming up the road, so they had to separate quickly.

The trio continued on their merry little way after that, only Stiles was closer to Derek to the point of their shoulders touching.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek's family was awesome in the way that they said nothing about Stiles' scent being riddled with some of Derek's, plus the fact that he looked like he'd just been kissed. Instead, they welcomed him and Gregory with open arms, calling Stiles nothing but a friend as if they didn't know that had clearly just changed.

Diana took out a camera, and made them all pose for a photo. "It's not every day that my brother has friends over!" was her reason, which made Derek's siblings laugh.

The flash was blinding, and Derek didn't know how Stiles could stand it with his mother. Diana refused to show Stiles and Gregory the photo for the obvious reason of her brother's werewolf eyes, saying that she wanted to keep it for her personal gallery. Later on, she would slip Derek the photo, but that would not be until before he would go to bed.

In the mean time, Stiles and Gregory were getting a tour of the big Hale house. Stiles, never liking books, almost got sick when he saw how many were in the library, while Gregory ran over to their oldest section that had started before Derek's father was born. He freaked out over them, being the bookworm that he was, having to adjust his glasses time after time as he looked around wildly at all the beautiful leather bounded covers.

"Musta been tedious moving here," Stiles chuckled breathlessly, looking around the large room.

Derek shrugged. "Worth it, though."

They smiled at each other, then Derek had to go and drag Gregory away from the books so he could show them his bedroom. It was a normal sized room, with four walls and a window directly across from the door, by which a large bed with soft blue sheets stood. On the other side of the window was a closet. Other than that...well, Derek hadn't too keen on personalizing, so it was pretty bare.

"Derek," Stiles rounded on him, "Your room sucks." 

Gregory nodded in agreement. "Yeah. It's so...boring! Let's go back to the library!"

Stiles made a face. "Let's not! Too many books! How about Derek decides, 'cause it's his house?" (whenever the Stiles he knows now struts around his house like he owns the place, Derek always looks back to this moment with a sigh of nostalgia. Why couldn't some of his previous lives' politeness ever stay with him?)

"Well," Derek looked to Gregory, "Why don't you explore the library some more, and Stiles can work on fixing my room?"

Gregory gasped in delight, and immediately rushed out of there. Derek shut the door behind him, turning to see Stiles' smirking face only inchest from his own. If Derek didn't have his werewolf hearing, he would have jumped at the sudden closeness.

"Clever you," Stiles smirked, "That was just an excuse to get rid of Gregory, wasn't it?"

Derek scoffed, "Obviously."

Stiles grinned and Derek set to work on kissing it, feeling the shape with his tongue. He picked Stiles up easily with arms around his waist, choosing to ignore the small sound of surprise as he dropped him on the bed.

"Strong," his mate blinked dazedly, creating a beautiful image of bruised lips and flushed face, glowing in the afternoon sun like an angel's halo. Derek grunted in response, falling between his legs, kissing him roughly because he really, *really* missed this, and Stiles sure wasn't complaining.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gregory didn't take very long to figure out what they had been doing while he was in the library, but he didn't seem to mind, "as long as they were married before they did it". This made Derek and Stiles laugh, because even a kiss between them was frowned upon by many, and the law was not about to let them get married. But Derek's mother told him not to until they were mated, either.

"Once your father bites him," she told Derek after Stiles and Gregory left, "Then he can stay with you until the world changes. Ok?"

Derek nodded, and she kissed his head. "That's my boy."

He really missed his mother.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Stiles and Derek did go on dates, but Gregory had to tag along so they wouldn't look suspicious. Just three good buddies going out for a bite to eat, nothing else. However, under the table, where people couldn't see, their ankles were wrapped around each other instead of their hands.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek was going to tell Stiles about how he was a werewolf. It was big news, but they had been together for a long time now, and he wanted Stiles to be with him for good this time. So he took his mate to the backyard of his house, where all was quiet and no one was around. The April air smelled sweet, and the half-moon created more than enough light needed to see.

It was quiet between them, until Stiles spoke up. "I get the feeling you have something to tell me."

Derek nodded, "I do."

"Well, are you gonna come out with it?"

"...you might not believe me."

"Derek, look in my eye and say that again. Because you of all people would know that I can believe a lot of things."

"Ok, fine." Derek met his eye. "I'm a werewolf."

Silence.

"...no, seriously, what were you gonna tell me?"

Derek shook his head, "Told you."

"Wha--? Come on Derek, you just said you're a *werewolf*! I mean, that's impossible, even for me! If you really are serious, then change into a wolf or whatever!"

"I can't fully transform into a wolf. Only my father, the Alpha, can."

"Wait, what?"

"My siblings, my parents, my aunt and my uncle, along with their children, they're all werewolves. Some of my family are normal, and we all make up one pack. My father is the Alpha."

Stiles rubbed his temples. "You're dead serious."

Derek closed his eyes and reached out to his wolf, letting it morph his face and change his nails into claws. His eyelids snapped open to reveal their glowing blue depths. "See?"

Stiles gaped at him. "Holy cow...this is for real?"

"Does it look like a joke to you?"

"No, 'course not! Just...I mean, it's...it's...AWESOME!"

Derek blinked, shifting back. "What?"

"I'm dating a *werewolf*!" Stiles punched the air, "This is so COOL! And I'm the only one who knows outside of your family, right?"

"Of course you are," Derek answered, voice a little far away. You couldn't really blame him, because he was definitely *not* expecting this reaction. He had honestly been thinking more along the lines of Stiles running away and calling the police. His dad was a cop, so it wouldn't be very hard to get arrest warrants.

But not Stiles kissing him and professing his love over and over until Derek put his arms around him to keep him from dancing and shouting it to the world. On the other hand, the beta really couldn't complain.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Hale family had overheard the conversation, telling it to the human members of the pack, so Mr. Hale approached Derek and asked when Stiles was going to be bitten, for it would have to be soon, now that he knew.

"I'll tell him this Friday," Derek had answered, a big grin on his face. He was finally going to get what he had wanted for so long. He was going to get to keep his mate by his side forever.

He was going to, until he can't.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It's all over the headlines. EDNA STILINSKI AND FAMILY MURDERED IN OWN HOME.

Police did not have any suspects just yet, but a note was dropped on the Hale family's doorstep. It read:

 

So sorry for your loss.

\--Timothy Argent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like such a horrible person now...XP


	6. 1971

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, the darndest people turn up after midnight in bars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning before you read: this meeting is very brief, and I am so sorry.
> 
> But, good news: this is the very last meeting before OUR Stiles appears! :3

It was safe to say that Derek just went downhill after that horrible note, and for over 30 years, he hardly said a word, scent clouded with self-loathing and grief.

Because that was the third time Stiles died because of him. Three times. All because he wasn't paying attention.

"Derek?"

Derek didn't respond to Laura, but she and his three other siblings came into his room anyway, their scents and heart beats calm.

"We were wondering if you wanted to go out and do something with us," Diana offered softly, "Maybe take your mind off things."

Derek was still silent, still staring at his hands. Elijah and Henry charged over and picked him up then, Elijah saying, "Well, we asked you nicely."

They dragged him out of the house and into the eldest brother's car, a '67 Chevy Impala that he had absolutely fallen in love with after seeing it at a used car place. He forced Derek in the back with Laura and Henry, while he and Diana climbed into the front. They sped into the city of Los Angeles.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Elijah pulled up and parked near a bar, tag teaming once again with Henry to take Derek out of the car. Laura and Diana followed them inside, helping Derek onto a stool and sitting around him.

"What can I get you?"

All five Hale siblings shot up to look at the bar tender, who raised a brow at their sudden reactions. "Um, do you want me to come back later?"

"I think you should get right the fuck off your shift and not die," Henry replied bluntly. He was always protective of Derek like the others, because he was the youngest out of them, so no doubt Stiles had pissed him off by then.

"Right," Stiles nodded slowly, "Well, I can see you've already had too much to drink, so why not just some coke?"

"No thanks," Laura answered immediately, cutting Henry off, "Nothing for us. Sorry about him."

"Nah, it's fine," Stiles shrugged a shoulder, "I'm uh, happy he doesn't want me to die."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The five of them waited until after 2 in the morning, when Stiles' shift ended. He was a bit freaked out by them, actually asking if they were going to mug him or something as he shrugged on his leather jacket.

"'Cause really," he chuckled wryly, "I don't have much."

"We aren't going to mug you," Elijah rolled his eyes, putting his arm around the young adult's shoudlers, "We just wanna talk. I mean c'mon, we're in a bar on a Saturday night. Why not be friends for a few hours, eh?"

Stiles looked at him strangely, before turning to Laura. "Is he drunk too?"

Laura rolled her eyes. "Believe me, if he was drunk, you'd know."

Derek pried Elijah away, muttering an apology. His brothers and sisters stiffened in happy surprise to hear his voice. Stiles on the other hand acquired a sympathetic expression and put his hand on his shoulder.

"You, though...you don't look wasted to me. Are you ok, dude?"

"Derek."

"What?"

"My name...it's Derek."

"Oh. Well I'm Stiles."

I know. "Unique name."

"Yeah, apparently it's been in my family for like, years."

Since you were born in 1824. "That's nice."

"You don't talk a lot, do you?"

Used to. But then you died.

Stiles frowned, concern shining in his eyes under the dim lights. "Come on," he gently tugged on Derek, "Let's get you out of here."

Derek's siblings followed as Stiles walked them through the city streets, taking a bunch of turns, before arriving at the base of a hill. It was around 2:40 AM when the group stared down at Los Angeles from a high viewpoint. Derek was too focused on the warm palm on the back of his neck to really appreciate the view. But Diana had taken out her color camera to take pictures.

She gathered them all together for a photo. "You too, Stiles!"

"What, really? But you just met me!"

"Don't care! Get in there!"

Stiles didn't notice them all shut their eyes so the glare wouldn't take over the picture, a trick they developed over the years. It looked weird, but it was something to laugh at and cherish.

"Thanks for bringing us up here," Laura smiled to Stiles.

Stiles shrugged a shoulder, "Well, fresh air does a lot of people some good." he frowned at Derek. "Although, it doesn't seem to be helping you out a whole lot, buddy." he bit his lip, and Derek's mind flashed back to a summer with beautiful blossoms and secret kisses. "Maybe...have you been hugged recently?"

Henry and Elijah repressed laughter, trying to cover it with coughs, while Diana answered for her brother, "No. No, he has not."

"Then maybe this'll help," and Stiles was hugging him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was around four in the morning when Diana took another picture of them together. Only this time, Derek was laughing. They all were.

What was so funny, you ask? Acutally, nothing really in particular. If Derek had to come up with reasons, he would probably say now that it was because they'd stayed up all night, Stiles was back, and...well, Stiles was back.

Diana took the picture with all of their heads either bent down or thrown back mid-laugh. At one point, someone asked--Derek can't remember who--what they were laughing at. Someone else said, "Fuck'd if I know!" and they all started laughing again.

It was all happy-happy-joy-joy until suddenly it wasn't.

"GET DOWN!" Laura yelled, pushing everyone to the ground. Just after the bullet hit the grass, the other four werewolves could smell it. Wolfsbane, malintent, and something dying.

"Hunters," Henry whispered.

"But how?" Diana gasped, "We've been nothing but careful!"

"What are you guys talking about, and why is someone *shooting at us*?!" Stiles hissed.

"No time to explain, everybody just run!" Laura ordered. She the was the eldest, so everyone obeyed her. Stiles yelped as Derek yanked him by the hand into a sprint, and more gunshots were fired. The scent of blood filled the air, but they would have to take care of that once they were safe.

Once they were tucked into an alleyway, they looked around at each other. But none of them had been shot. So who was--

"Well. That was fun."

And Stiles fell.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Derek...I'm so sorry honey," Mrs. Hale embraced him as soon as he walked through the door. Henry had sprinted home while Stiles lied in a pool of blood to tell their parents, but they didn't come because they knew that even if Mr. Hale bit him, Stiles wouldn't make it either way.

Derek said nothing, only pulled his mate's black leather jacket tighter around him.

"It was my dad's," Stiles had told him at around 3 AM, "That's what it's a bit big on me, but hey, looks good on you."

And now you know where Derek got his leather jacket from. It wasn't a birthday present; he wasn't even supposed to keep it. But the owner died yet again in his arms, and he couldn't bring himself to take it off.

Uncle Peter guided him into the living room with Aunt Emily. The two of them sat with him until dawn, when everyone started packing their bags and leaving.

Once in the big van, Derek spoke.

"I'm done."

"What do you mean?" Cecilia, his human cousin, demanded, the scent of terror spiking in the air.

"Don't worry, I'm not committing suicide or anything," Derek growled, and the tension eased. "I'm saying that if I ever see him again, he won't see me."

"But...he's your mate, Derek," Jenny--all grown up, obviously--put a hand on his shoulder. "I mean, I know he's died, but none of it was your faul--"

"Jen. Just don't."

Jenny shut her mouth relucantly. Derek continued, "If he keeps meeting me, he'll keep dying. And I can't have that happen again."

"...are you sure, son?" Mr. Hale murmured from the driver's seat, looking at him through the rearview mirror.

"Yeah."

That was why, when Derek met Stiles when he was 10, in Beacon Hills, California, he turned on his heel and strode back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	7. 2004: Kate Argent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was all dark and despair before she came along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guuuuuuys! You're too awesome! <3 thank you, really, thank you! I have never written anything this popular before, and it makes me feel so blessed! Truly, from the bottom of my heart, I love you all, and I am so grateful to you!
> 
> Now here is the beginning of the Kate Argent era.
> 
> Guys, like I said, I love you, but...she had to come along sometime. The only thing I can promise you? This story DOES have a happy ending. The road's just a little bumpy on the way.

Derek's life had indeed taken a turn for the worse once again, only this time, Stiles was actually alive. And just to be sure, Derek changed his form to look younger so that he could attend Beacon Hills High and pass the Stilinski residence on the way.

Stiles was lovely, bouncy and giggling and ever mischevious. He was happy, with a best friend named Scott McCall--huh, where had he heard that name before?--and parents who loved him very much. Derek's wolf growled at him for letting the boy alone, but he ignored it every time, continuing his walk to school.

Then...she came along.

Young and beautiful, with bouncing dirty blonde curls and a killer smile, Kate Argent walked quickly towards him after school one day with a confidence that showed in both her scent and stride. Her pretty eyes made him stop and look, while Laura trudged on ahead.

Derek has repressed much of his memories of Kate Argent for obvious reasons, but he could never truly erase the sight of her teenaged self. He hardly recalls what she said to him, but he knew that it didn't take long before he was feeling like a teenager himself again, with her witty flirtations reeling him in on a well-aimed hook. She kept smiling at him, always smiling, tucking her hair behind her ear and acting all nervous, though her heart beat was steady. Derek should have realized then and there she was already lying to him, but after everything that had happened with Stiles...he supposed that he just wanted someone to love who wouldn't die. And strong, beautiful Kate Argent seemed like the perfect choice.

He remembers after that first conversation that he had been asked out on a date. Laura had been staring at her distrustingly, reminding him exactly of what her family had done to him. To Stiles. In the not too distant future, she and other family members would say the same thing to him, just to be sure he knew what he was doing.

And every time, every single time, Derek would shake his head and say, "She's different."

Wrong. She was worse. But poor, broken hearted Derek Hale did not know it just yet.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He had never actually gone all the way with Stiles, so Kate Argent had indeed been the one to take his virginity. That night was also a time he couldn't repress.

She had been stringing him along for about half a year by then, with now barely remembered dates, kisses, and laughter. He'd taken her to his family's house, showed her all the little passageways he knew, introduced her to the pack--trying to ignore their distrusting stares--and finally, his bedroom.

"Thank you for showing me all of this," Kate smiled, stroking his cheek with her thumb, "Really."

Her scent reflected satisfaction and joy, her heart beat steady and tranquil. Derek took this instead as a true expression of how much she loved him, instead of the alternative. He smiled back, accepting her kiss eagerly, even letting her gently push him onto his bed.

Like he said, Derek can't forget it. It was his first time, after all. And at the time, yes, it felt amazing, better than anything he'd ever experienced physically. She had whispered the question in his ear beforehand, asking softly if she could have the honor of taking his first time. Images of Stiles had admittedly formed in his mind, but instead of stopping him, the heart break only fueled his nodding, and he let her have her way with him.

Only a day or so after that night, Derek told her his family's secret. They were in the forest, somewhere on the Hale property, cloud watching through the trees. Her head was on his shoulder, hand clasped with his own, their entwined palms resting on his chest.

"Can I ask you a hypothetical question?" he murmured.

"Hypothetically shoot," she murmured back.

Derek smiled, brining her hand to his lips so she wouldn't feel his racing heart. "Say, hypothetically, I wasn't completely human. Like, I don't know, a werewolf or something. What would you say?"

And Kate rolled over so that she was straddling him. Her smile had yet to fade. "I'd believe it."

He smirked. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah. You always were unnaturally good-looking. And you've never let me take a picture of you, even though you're obviously the most photogenic man to ever walk the Earth. Then you're absence from school, along with your sisters and brothers, during the full moon cycle. It would make sense, is all I'm saying."

Derek pushed himself up, kissing her lips. "What if I was telling the truth just now?"

His claws extended, brushing against her cheek. Kate's heart beat sped up, and she bit her lip, making even that action look sensual. "Well then," she murmured, "My life just got a lot more complicated."

Derek let her pin him on the leaves.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The day couldn't have been more beautiful, and Derek never happier. Sure, a few human relatives were sick, and 3 of his siblings had gone home to help out, but he still had Kate, and she was helping him so much with Stiles. Of course, he hadn't actually told her about Stiles, but she could tell that his heart was somewhere else sometimes, and she did her best to get him out of his rut.

His happiness had another downside, because Kate was absent from school that day. He decided to check on her after classes, thinking that maybe she had caught the bug that his cousins had.

It was all so normal...until the world came crashing down.

The principal, guidance counselor, and Sheriff Stilinski showed up at school, taking Derek and Laura out of class. The youngest Hale brother probably would have collapsed had his sister not been holding his hand.

They raced home, and what a sight they were met with.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek still has nightmares about first finding the charred remains of their home. Laura was the only one out of them to move beyond the threshold. Derek was too distracted by the ashes of the front hall, until his sister gently guided him in.

"I can't search the place alone, little brother," she whispered in the calmest voice Derek had ever heard. "Just don't look if it gets to be too much, ok?"

Derek remembers nodding shakily, unable to say anything else. He let her take him to the basement, where...

"Oh go--oh my go--" he groaned, paling and retching over the railing. Laura remained tense and steady, casting her eyes over the corpses of their entire family. Yes, their *entire* family. Jenny, Richard, Aunt Emily, their parents, Henry, Diana, Elijah, all of their human cousins...dead.

"Wait..." Laura looked around, "Uncle Peter...he's not here."

Just as the words came out of her mouth, her phone rang. It was a doctor from the hospital. Their Uncle Peter had survived, but was in critical condition.

"Derek, come on, we have to go!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek only remembers seeing Uncle Peter's state before running into the bathroom and getting sick again. Laura had been waiting for him, her eyes flashing crimson to show her new status as Alpha, the status inherited by their father's death.

"We need to move, little brother," she'd said, kissing his forehead, "Let's go back to New York, ok?"

Derek could only nod and follow his only sane and living family out the door. However, just before he and Laura could leave, Kate was there by the door.

She didn't speak, only smirked. Derek was confused at first, until he smelled the arson all over her, twisted with the sick satisfaction he'd grown to hate.

"So long, lover boy," she murmured, before strutting out the doors. It was all Laura could do to keep Derek standing when he connected the dots.

He doesn't remember what happened after that. Everything was blurry. Laura had told him when he had recovered enough that he was muttering "It was my fault" over and over, and whenever Laura said anything to him, anything at all, he'd change it once to "I killed our family" before reverting back to the previous statement.

She got them to New York, a much changed place since they'd last been there. And not once had she ever blamed her brother for what happened. Not ever.

But somehow, that had only made it worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	8. 2011: Part 1 of 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura went missing. Derek returns to Beacon Hills to look for her. Of course Stiles would be snooping around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm going a bit for canon, but it's mostly going to be non-canon. XP
> 
> We're almost to the end now! So sad, but unfortunately it can't last forever! And hey, Stiles won't die anymore! Yaaaay! 8D

Derek and Laura lived in New York for a few years, and he wishes that he'd remembered their time together more. But unfortunately, all he could get whenever he tried was a couple of flashes. There had been some moments when the two siblings would smile at each other, full of encouragement and familial love, and he can also remember that every night, they would sleep in the same bed, Derek holding onto his Alpha and big sister like there was no tomorrow. And with his current mental state at the time, well, sometimes it was like he didn't have one.

The Uncle Peter remained in the hospital. Laura called a contractor to get rebuilding on their house. It was not cheap, but the Hale family had been saving money since before 1800. They had cash, and lots of it. With the rennovating, Laura kept dropping hints of going to live there again once it was finished. Derek never said anything in response to it, only changed the subject.

At one point, Laura told him that she was going to see Uncle Peter. Something wasn't right about her countenance, but she assured him time and again that she was fine.

"Just haven't seen him in so long," she shrugged, packing a suitcase, "I'll be back in about a week." she kissed his forehead. "Take care, little brother."

"You too," Derek squeezed her shoulder, and that was their last conversation.

A week later, Laura didn't come back. Derek called her cell phone, but didn't get an answer. He waited one more day before high tailing it out of there.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek returned to Beacon Hills only to look for Laura. But of course, God had other plans for him, because the night he walked out of his burned out home--Laura was a sentimental person, and the hospital had only Uncle Peter there--to try looking in the woods, Stiles and his best friend Scott were there. Not only them, but police as well, for some weird reason.

Awesome.

The werewolf hid from the cops before sniffing the air and looking around for Laura. Once he caught a scent, he raced toward it...

...only to find the top half of Laura's body. With two teenagers standing over it.

One of them being Stiles.

"Of course *you* would be here," Derek growled, but the words were too quiet for them to pick up, so they only heard him growling. "Out of all the nights to show up again, and you choose *this* one."

The next words though, they did hear. "Get away from my sister."

"Wha--your sister?" Scott McCall, the other one, backed away insantly. Stiles, on the other hand, stays right where he is and stares.

"Derek Hale?"

Derek's head shot up from Laura's upper half to connect to beautiful brown eyes. Ugh, even after so many years, his wolf still howled in delight at the sight of them. In that situation, it only made him angrier.

"Is this...um...is this Laura, then?" Stiles asked, scent and heartbeat spiking in anxiousness.

"Why would *you* care?" Derek spat, "It's obvious what you came out here for. Hearing your father find half of a body, then go looking for the other half for *kicks*!" his hand shot out to Stiles' throat, putting him up off his feet. "And to think, you used to *care* about her! You were her FRIEND!"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Stiles choked, fingers trying to pry Derek's off of his throat, "I've never met her in my life!"

"LIAR!"

And just like that, Stiles was on the ground, and Derek...Derek was a wolf. A full wolf. Standing right over him. Jaws threatening to snap off his neck.

"D-Derek?" Stiles whispered in fright.

Derek remembers how, suddenly, flashes of his memory hit him like a punch in the face, memories of other times, when Stiles said his name. With pleasure, with love, with laughter, with awe, with soft tones, with loud tones, and sometimes without even opening his mouth at all. Sometimes, he would only have to kiss that one spot under Derek's ear, and that was how he said it.

Human form wrenched him back to reality, sending him off of Stiles and towards his leather jacket to use as cover. It was a bit torn like the rest of his clothes, but still almost intact. He used it for cover.

Stiles scrambled up, pulling Scott along with him. They both ran off, leaving him alone with Laura's body.

The police shouted to each other. They were close.

Derek had no choice but to run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	9. 2011: Part 2 of 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek comes to terms with the fact that he is an Alpha, and as an Alpha, wants to have a pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so, I'm getting focused on completing this thing as fast as I can!
> 
> Once again, going COMPLETELY off canon. XD just wanted to tell you that!
> 
> But first, I'd just like to once again thank you all for your support in this story! <3 you all!

Derek searched the barren remains of Diana's room after reaching his house to look for something all the Hale siblings received for Christmas one year. Each had a safe, a fireproof and waterproof safe, to keep some prized possessions in. And if there was one thing Derek knew about his late sister, it was the fact that she adored sewing.

And there it was, tucked away with some albums and cameras. Diana's sewing kit. The entire interior smelled like her and wrenched at Derek's heart when he opened it, almost forgetting his original purpose.

"Thanks for forcing me to learn, Di," he murmured, and pulled the torn leather jacket over. It was a stubborn piece of clothing, so thankfully there wasn't much to mend.

Yes, Diana had taught Derek how to sew. It was around his 17th birthday when she put him in a chair and made him listen to her. "You never know when it might come in handy!" she had said. He had never thought that it actually would.

As he got to work, Derek remembers mulling over not only his disaster of a reunion for Stiles, and the cause of the disaster, which was his inner Alpha waking up after the sight of Laura's body. It could have gone to Uncle Peter, but Derek supposed that he was too broken up for such status, so the wolf chose him instead.

But he was a lone Alpha, with no pack anymore. Uncle Peter barely counted, and he couldn't sense him like an Alpha would sense Pack anyway. So naturally, after the leather jacket was mended back together, the urge to get one was starting to grow in him. Rapidly. And being in the remains of his old pack was not helping matters one bit, either.

Maybe just...one person? After all, he and Laura had only needed each other for a good 6 years.

No, the wolf growled, need more.

Two?

More.

Derek rubbed his temples. It was true that an Alpha needed at least three pack members to really make him or her stronger, but his conscience--which sounded strangely like Stiles--told him that it was wrong to turn people like that.

But, the wolf argued, what if the people he asked actually *wanted* the bite? Who was Derek to refuse them?

Huh...that was...a very valid point, actually. If Derek could possibly find people who wanted to be a werewolf--since born werewolves who were sane and healthy were no longer around--then he would be within his right to make them part of his pack. The hunters couldn't do anything about it, because Chris Argent would never turn his back on the Code. (in fact, Derek still thinks that if the Code were a woman, Victoria Argent wouldn't even be looked at twice.) And...Kate--he growled involuntarily--could do nothing about it, not if she wanted to get her manipulating ass kicked.

Derek put Diana's things back and shut the safe. Tomorrow, he decided, he would scope out possible candidates.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ok, so the first member of his pack--at least, first possible candidate, anyway--Derek will admit he chose out of spite. But he'll never tell Stiles that.

Scott McCall had a lot of reasons to accept. For one, he was an unwilling bench warmer with no real skills in lacrosse whatsoever. He was constantly made fun of. Not to mention his asthma. Or the fact that he had a crush...on Allison Argent.

Alright, maybe Derek wanted to spite more than one person. Though, secretly of course, because a werewolf dating a hunter's daughter was not acceptable. He'd just have to teach Scott to be good about hiding it, should he wish to actually ask the girl out.

Then there was Isaac Lahey, whose motives were also obvious. He was an abused kid; alone, afraid, and vulnerable. He seemed like a nice guy, but everyone avoided him because of his bruises. Derek felt a sort of big brotherly urge to help him out, to teach him to defend himself while defending him at the same time.

Boyd. Oh, yes. Not only was the kid *huge*, but he was calm and collected, as well as smart. Everyone in the school ignored him, leaving him to sit alone at lunch. Furthermore, he also had a crush on a girl named Angel Birk, virtually unattainable from where he was now on the food chain.

Hm, maybe Angel herself wasn't so bad, either. She was fair, with pretty dark eyes and luscious locks of black hair. Her smile was dazzling, and she was an all around cheerful person. But what attracted Derek to her was a hidden strength about her, something he couldn't quite place. His wolf was growling in approval when he smelled it in her scent.

Finally, there was Erica Reyes. Epileptic, unattractive, completely alone like Boyd and Isaac. Derek saw an opportunity to turn her that very day, when she was carried off to the hospital. The new Alpha, goaded on by his wolf, walked straight to his Camaro and sped off after the ambulance.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek made sure the coast was clear before quietly taking Erica to the morgue, where no one would think to look for her for obvious reasons. She opened her eyes once they arrived, looking around in growing fear before sitting up with clear intent to get out of the room, possibly find a nurse. Then she saw him.

"Hi," Derek smiled, turning on the charm that many women in his life swooned at. Erica was no different, judging by her blush and increased heart rate. "Erica?"

Erica nodded. "Um...who are you?" she asked quietly.

"I'm someone who wants to help."

"Help...?"

Derek held up the pill bottle he'd snuck into his pocket from her hospital room. "These are the meds you have to take, right? To help with the epilepsy?" another nod. He made a face, like a parent would when describing something not so nice to a child. "Not very pleasant side effects, huh?"

"No."

"And you get a warning, before have a seizure."

Erica's eye followed him as he walked over to her, stopping when he was almost right against the bed. "It's...it's called an aura. I get this...metallic taste in the back of my mouth."

Derek reached out to touch her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He kept his voice soft and kind. "You don't have to lie to me, Erica. What does it really taste like?"

Erica opened her mouth, but no sound came out at first. He waited patiently until she found her words. "It...it tastes like blood."

She sounded like she was about to cry. Now was his chance. "What if I told you, that all of this could go away? And what if all those things not only went away, but everything else...got even better?"

Erica's heart was racing, and she was staring at him in disbelief. "How?"

Derek let his Alpha rush to the surface. "Let me show you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Erica accepted, even after hearing his warnings about hunters. Now he could feel her, first member of his pack, and new and improved, like a shining diamond. He let her go to school and strut through the hallways, showing off her new look with a smirk on her face, but only after he was sure that her wolf was contained enough, which took a couple of days faking sickness to her mother on her part and sneaking out for one on one training in the woods.

But all in all, she was just fine. Derek still looks at her today and never regrets his decision in choosing her. (though she's still irritating sometimes, but hey, when you have Stiles Stilinski for a mate, you get used to dealing with annoyance after a while.)

After Erica's little show, Derek saw Isaac staring after her as she strode confidently to her Alpha and his car. Derek smiled at him, sunglasses glinting in the sun, and drove away, giving Mrs. Reyes quite a surprise when he dropped his packmate off at her house.

He tried to forget that right near Isaac had been Stiles. But try as he might, his wolf wouldn't let him erase the shocked, almost frightened look on his face.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It wasn't hard to find Isaac. The boy's radiating scent of grief reached Derek's nose from miles away. The Alpha found him in a cemetery, crouching in front of a grave that had Theresa Lahey written on it, with dates and a little message. The sight of him there, alone and grieving, made that big brother side of Derek he never knew existed until their meeting come back, making him want nothing more than to help the poor teen.

"Hey."

Isaac jumped, wincing slightly as his sharp movement irritated some injuries. Derek tried not to growl at the fresh bruises he saw on the child's skin.

"You're that guy," Isaac said, rubbing at some black and blue patches on his neck that were shaped like hands, "That guy who drove Erica home today."

"I am. My name's Derek."

"Isaac. Um...so, do you have family here?"

Derek looked around, and ah, there they were. Pain stabbed at his heart when he located the graves. "I do. But I'm not actually here to see them."

"Then...what did you come here for?"

"I wanted to ask you something."

Isaac blinked, obviously confused. "Me? Why me?"

Derek didn't directly answer. Instead, he motioned for Isaac to stand. When he did, more bruises came into the moonlight. Derek gently put a hand on the back of his neck. "You got these from your father, didn't you?"

Isaac flinched, not responding otherwise.

"I'm guessing that after your mother died, he went a little overboard with drinking?"

Again, no answer. But Derek smelled more grief and hurt, which was all the reply he needed.

"Isaac, I want to help you. If you'll let me, I can make you stronger. Give you a family who will never abandon you, or hurt you, ever."

"How could you possibly do that?" Isaac scoffed, shrugging off the hand on his neck.

Derek put his hands into his leather jacket. "You saw Erica today, right?"

"Anyone with eyes could see her."

"Well, I helped her out too."

Isaac was quiet, and Derek could see him mulling over the idea. After about a minute and a half, they made eye contact. "There has to be a catch though, right?"

"Yes. You might not survive it, and there are people, hunters, who will want to track you down and kill you, should you step out of line, or reveal yourself."

Isaac didn't seem fazed. Derek wasn't surprised, since his father basically did that to him every day. "Reveal myself meaning what, exactly?"

The Alpha smiled, all teeth, crimson flooding into hazel. "Reveal yourself as a werewolf."

The teen's eyes widened considerably, and he staggered back in fright. At this reaction, Derek closed his lips on his smile, and let his eyes return to normal. "Don't worry, Isaac. I'm not going to hurt you. Like I said, I want to help."

Silence. Nothing but crickets chirping.

"...I'll be like Erica?"

"Yes. You'll be part of my pack."

"So...you're like...the leader?"

"The Alpha. Yes."

Isaac swallowed, meeting his eyes again. "I...can I at least think about it first?"

"Unfortunately, you already know too much. I can't just let you go now without a decision."

More silence. The wolf in Derek was starting to get impatient. It wouldn't be long before it snapped and forced Isaac to turn instead of him making his own choice about it. Derek could feel the claws start to extend in his pockets. As glorious as the prospect of the hunt was, he couldn't do it until he heard...

"Ok. I'll...I'll do it."

Derek's teeth grew. "I knew you were smart."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just as with Erica, Isaac underwent a couple days of training to keep his wolf under wraps. It was not of course to the point where he could turn whenever he wanted, only a few exercises to help whenever Isaac was on the verge of turning. It wasn't much, but it would help.

Derek would always chuckle a bit to himself at the memory of Erica's face when she beheld the newly improved Isaac getting out of Derek's car. It was like she had won the lottery, and her wolf was stumbling all over itself. If he needed any further proof of her feelings, the pheremones were more than enough. Isaac couldn't smell them just yet, but he did walk with her and talked with her. Derek watched them until he couldn't see them anymore.

He was about to drive back to his house to see how the construction was faring--Laura's death only meant he had to sign the papers himself to restart rennovations--when a scent caught his nose. Spicy and too familiar.

He turned his head back in the direction of the school, and yep, there was Stiles, leaning down to glare at him.

"What did you do to them?" he demanded.

Derek smirked. "I helped them."

"Helped them *how*? And what exactly happened the other night? Are we just going to pretend like you didn't turn into a freakin' wolf and try to KILL me?"

"I wasn't going to kill you."

"Really? 'Cause it seemed like you were."

Wrong. Though his wolf could get just about as close as it could get to killing Stiles, it never could take that final step on its mate like that. Otherwise Derek would really go insane. "I wasn't."

Stiles' jaw tensed. "I don't believe you."

"Believe what you want. Now, don't you have a class to get to?"

Stiles glanced back at the school, before scowling and storming away. Derek slammed his foot on the gas, his wolf growling at him for being such an asshole to his *mate* of all people. But after so many years, he was simply too tired to try and hope at a happy ending for them. Right now, all he could do was continue building his pack, and oversee the rebuilding of his home.

Stubborn, his wolf snarled.

Well, too damn bad.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek texted his pack to find out where Boyd was after school during their lunch period, and his inner Alpha was satisfied at the response time. At least his wolf could agree that he had picked out an efficient little bunch.

That was how he came to be at the only local ice rink in Beacon Hills, where Boyd was working his late hours. Derek was about to go in, when his nose picked up on two scents. The Alpha turned to see Erica and Isaac behind him.

"Mind if we join you?" Erica asked sweetly.

Derek gave an inviting smirk. "Not at all."

Together, the three entered the rink, locating Boyd just starting with the skates lying around. As far as memories go, Derek's on that particular event is short. Not that he doesn't remember, of course he does; it was just that, with the help of his pack there, he didn't take very long at all to convince Boyd that joining them was the right call. Sure, the overgrown teen was a bit stubborn, as Isaac had been, but Stiles can vouch for Derek's ability to have a way with words when it came to persuasion.

He could see, as the newest member of his pack joined the other two, how Scott McCall stared after them. This was turning out better than he thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Derek received a text while he watched the construction workers start on the old living room.

 

From: Isaac

McCall wants to speak to you.

 

He chuckled, eyes gleaming with triumph, replying:

 

Thank you for informing me. Tell him to meet me outside the school after classes.

 

Isaac responded with an affirmative, and Derek checked his watch. Oh, time just couldn't pass fast enough.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Stiles was with Scott, unfortunately. He tried to shrug his mate off by saying that his car only fit so many people, but Stiles waved him off with obvious hostility and determination, pointing out that he had a Jeep in the parking lot.

Derek sent him a glare, quickly getting back on his feet as his wolf offered a new idea. With a big, kind smile, he invited Scott to ride with him. Scott accepted, much to Stiles' chagrin.

Once they were on the road to the woods, Scott spoke. "Sorry about Stiles. I tried to tell him that I told Isaac that it was only going to be me talking to you, but he wouldn't listen."

Derek feigned nonchalance. "No problem. You can talk to me now instead."

Scott seemed to realize just then that they were in fact alone. Derek remembers doubting his original intentions to turn him for a split second when he saw that, but the resolve strengthened once again when he detected promising determination enter the idiot's expression.

"I want to know what you did to help them out."

"By them, I'm assuming you mean Erica, Isaac, and Boyd."

"Yeah."

"Well, that depends. Do you want me to help you too?"

"...maybe...I mean, if it's legal."

Derek rolled his eyes. "I'm not selling them drugs or anything, Scott. Do they look like junkies to you?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" Scott frowned, "Sorry."

Derek found his lip quirking up into a half-smile. This kid was too similar to a pup already. "I was joking, Scott."

"Oh..."

They were almost halfway there. He had to do this quickly. "Scott, if you want my help, then you're going to have to listen to me very carefully."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

One explanation, one demonstration, and two freak outs plus an inhaler later, and Scott McCall was quiet with thinking. Today, Derek can still agree with Stiles on the fact that when he's thinking, Scott looks like he's constipated. The expression just makes someone want to pat his shoulder and try and console him for some reason, maybe entreat him not to push himself too hard.

Hm. Maybe that's why Allison is the brains in the relationship.

Anyway, Derek could never forget the moment when Scott decided to join, because he had had the funniest reaction of them all. He clapped his hands together and nodded vigorously. "Ok. Ok, yeah! If uh...if you can promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Well, I mean, I know it's dangerous, but...I can still ask Allison out, right?"

"...you'll have to be very, *very* careful, Scott. One slip up and I'm going to have to forbid it for the pack's safety."

Derek could tell that Scott was doing this mainly for Allison. Even before he really knew her, that boy was desperate to get her attention. It was *almost* cute, but too pathetic to be considered as such.

"Alright. Like I said, I need to bite you. Stiles can't be there for that." unless you want him to know, but Derek didn't say that last part, telling his wolf to shut up and stop pining already.

Scott bit his lip. "Could you maybe lose him?"

"Too close to the woods already."

"Um...uh..."

Derek sighed. "Pull up your sleeve and hold out your arm."

Stiles often tells him that the Camaro swerved a little for a second, which was what made him beep the horn. Scott unfortunately suffered more pain as Derek involuntarily clamped down even deeper into his arm at the loud noise in his sensitive ears.

The Alpha pulled away, blood all over his mouth. He pulled into the woods, Stiles following. Hopefully, he could find an explanation for the blood.

Yeah. Scott's turning was definitely not one of his best thought out plans, Derek will admit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	10. 2011: Part 3 of 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack reaches completeness, and the Hale house is restored. But...something is still not right. And a discovery in the newly rebuilt Hale house leads to its completeness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are at last! The final chapter to Life After Life! Wow, how weird is this? I'm almost sad to see it go away!
> 
> I wanted to first take the time to tell you all that I love you, and I am so very thankful for your kind reviews! You're all wonderful! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
> 
> Here we go!

Fortunately, Scott managed to have a scrap a brains left in that empty head of his, and before Derek had pulled over, his hoodie was in his lacrosse bag, with a white towel and water bottle sacrificed to get the blood off of his arm and out of Derek's mouth. The bite healed just in time, and though Stiles still looked suspicious, he didn't say anything.

Another good trait about Scott was that the one time he could keep his mouth shut was when he *had* to keep his mouth shut, unless some sort of accident happened that led him to blurting it out. Derek was thankful that no accidents did occur, and Scott actually came up with a valid question.

That, or he genuinely wanted to know. Derek's bets are on that proposition.

"Can you teach me how to talk to girls?"

Stiles face-palmed, while Derek raised an eyebrow.

"You want me to teach you how to talk to girls?"

"Yeah. Please?"

Needless to say, that conversation takes a backseat in Derek's mind, since it really went nowhere. However, the next time he saw Stiles...now *that* was a conversation that led to something.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It had been about a week after he'd gotten a hold of Angel, whom Boyd had finally asked out. Derek had pulled the mating card on her, which made it twice as easy, especially when high school girls like her usually dream about marriage and a storybook ending. Well, it certainly made Boyd happy, too.

Stiles cornered him by finding out where he lived--easy enough to do, considering his father was the Sheriff, and the Hale fire wasn't exactly small news--and driving to his house just as Derek was admiring the finished product of it.

The Alpha was just starting to feel the grief prickle at his insides, inescapable as always, when he turned to see Stiles climbing out of his Jeep.

He wasn't happy at all. "I know what you did to my best friend."

Derek remained silent, standing straight and tall. This only succeeded in getting Stiles angrier.

"You turned him and the others into werewolves, didn't you?"

That got a response from him, whether he wanted to or not. He reached out, and in a second had Stiles slammed up against the nearest tree.

"Tell me how you found out."

Stiles' heart beat was getting faster and faster, scent spiking deliciously with adrenaline. Derek forced himself to focus on the boy's answer. "Google."

..............

"...Google."

"Yeah. Well, Google and a couple of books that I found on Google."

Derek's fist tightened on his shirt. "Regardless. Don't tell anyone, I'm gonna rip your throat out. With my teeth."

Stiles' eyes glanced down at Derek's lips, his own rosy ones parting. It was such a sight that his words were almost lost to Derek's ears. "You're not...you're not gonna turn me?"

"I can't unless you're willing."

"That sounds like you're asking me to have sex with you."

Derek's eyes flashed crimson before he could stop them. Thankfully, Stiles took it another way. "Y'know, not that you *would* be asking that, 'cause...y'know."

"This does mean though, that you're going to be part of my pack."

"Wha--why?!"

"Because like it or not, you know too much now, and hunters are going to find out soon."

"I can--"

"If you say 'I can take care of myself', I *will* kill you."

Stiles scowled. "Can I hang ut with my best friend again?"

"Yes."

"Then *fine*. I'll be part of your little pack thing."

Derek nodded, holding on to him until he felt Stiles like he used to feel Violet or any other human member of his old pack. Then maybe a little bit longer, because his wolf was whining.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The pack, especially Scott, took Stiles in with open arms, and before Derek knew it he was standing in his newly rebuilt home with his entire pack surrounding him.

"Nice," Isaac muttered, nodding his approval, "*Really* nice."

"Can we look around?" Allison--who almost hadn't been allowed to come, just because Derek was still more than a little mad at her aunt--asked eagerly.

Derek shrugged, and the pack immediately split up. But Boyd and Angel stayed behind for a minute.

"Something's missing," Boyd told him.

"What is it?" Derek inquired, looking around to see if any of the new furniture was out of place or something.

"I don't know what it is. It just feel like something isn't right. It's really close to being right, but..."

Angel agreed with him. "Yeah. I feel it too. Like something's incomplete. Not saying that it's your fault, Derek. Just...saying."

Derek remembers how his heart wrenched when he figured out exactly what they were talking about. Even if they weren't aware, all of the werewolves in his pack could feel the untouched bond between Stiles and their Alpha, and it bothered them just as it bothered Derek's wolf. Maybe not to his extent, but enough to make them at least conscious of a problem.

"I'll see if I can find out what it is," Derek had told them, going up the stairs before they could call him on his lie.

The moment he reached the second floor, he heard Scott's voice coming from what used to be Diana's room. "What's this?"

Derek, curious, went to the room, to find Stiles, Scott, and Allison all gathered around one of Diana's scrapbooks. The specific one that they were looking at contained...all of Stiles' lives in them.

"No, not that one!" the Alpha snatched it from their hands. "It's private."

Stiles crossed his arms. "It had my name on it."

"How do you know it's not another person named Stiles?"

"Because it had my *real* name on it."

Well...shit. Derek couldn't come up with an excuse for it. And without an explanation, Stiles was entitled to take it from his hands and look through it.

The first page had Diana's beautiful handwriting in fountain pen. '1842' was what it said. The next page showed Diana Hale's wonderful artistic talent on old, yellowing parchment. All sketches and little paintings of Derek and Stiles together in Virginia and New York.

"What the..." Stiles breathed as he stared at one where he and Derek had posed for hours in the gardens while Diana drew them. Oh, he had remembered that day so clearly it hurt. The fresh scent of summer blossoms...the contented laughter from his mate...Diana's giggling, telling Stiles to hold still...

"What's going on in here?" Erica's voice sounded from the doorway. The rest of the pack was with her. Their wolves had probably sensed their Alpha's emotional distress. Even Scott had gravitated to Derek's side.

"Stiles found a scrapbook with his name on it," he explained, "It's got a bunch of pictures in it from a really long time ago."

The pack gathered around, which just made Derek really start to regret letting them all up here. Meanwhile, Stiles had reached '1912'.

"*Stephanie* Stilinski?" Isaac snorted.

"Is that the Titanic?" Allison asked, gaping.

Derek nodded. "She died of hypothermia a few hours after it sunk."

"She was beautiful," Scott murmured. Derek couldn't help but agree.

"How old *are* you?" Angel demanded, "How'd you live this long?"

"Born werewolves like myself are immortal. Turned wolves can choose to be, but my kind doesn't have a choice." Derek sighed. "I was born on November 8th, 1817."

"Whoa," Erica muttered, "That makes you like, what?"

"194."

Boyd whistled lowly. Stiles had yet to say anything. He passed through the rest of his second life and into 1939. Diana had put in the newspaper clipping about Edna Stilinski.

"Hey, there's Stiles again!" Scott pointed to the boy next to the actress.

"What exactly is going on here?" Allison wondered, "How is Stiles...I mean, family resemblance is one thing, but this is a little..."

"Receptionist."

The pack all looked to Stiles, who was now staring at their Alpha with a far away look in his eyes. 

Derek stiffened. "What?"

"I was...talking to a receptionist. I thought...I thought you had been a reporter."

And just like that, all the wind had been knocked out of him. Derek's heart went wild in his chest.

Stiles continued to flip through the pages. He arrived at the photo of him, Derek, and Gregory. "Gregory...Gregory Whittemore," Stiles whispered, finger tapping Gregory's smiling face. "He was my best friend."

"Whittemore?" Allison tilted her head, "Like the family that adopted Jackson?"

"I don't know whether I should be freaked out or insulted," Scott mumbled.

Derek just couldn't stop staring at his mate, who kept going, getting to that one photo in 1971. Stiles looked up at the leather jacket that he wore.

"You still haven't given my jacket back."

And just like that, Derek was done. He smacked the scrapbook out of Stiles' hands and kissed him all the way into the wall. The pack stood there awkwardly in the background, but he hardly noticed them anymore, because Stiles *remembered*. He *remembered*!

"Um..."

The couple stopped kissing for a moment to look over at the wide-eyed pack.

"So...what does this mean, exactly? That Stiles lived more than once?" Scott asked, gesturing to Stiles.

Derek nodded. "Yes. This is his fifth life."

Isaac's eyebrow quirked. "So...what, he died of old age or something?"

Derek swallowed, not wanting to recount what exactly had happened to Stiles. He didn't have to though, because Stiles himself answered the question.

"No. I...I mean, it's a bit blurry, but..." Stiles rubbed his head, eyes squeezing shut as he tried to remember. "Someone...shot at us the last time, I think. And...before that...people came into my house...stabbed me."

"Hunters," Derek managed to get out, before he made the guilt worse, "The same family every time."

"What was their name?" Angel asked softly.

"Argent."

Allison's eyes shone with tears as everyone stared at her. "I'm sorry, Derek. I didn't know my family would..."

"No. No, no," Stiles interrupted her almost-crying, "We're not going to cry right now, because I'm alive. See? I'm alive. You're not getting rid of me so easily now! Yeah, that's right!"

"Stiles?"

"Huh?"

Derek stared into chocolate brown depths. "Shut up."

"Actually, I won't," Stiles pointed an accusing finger at him, "Because YOU, Derek, what, just decided to leave me alone this time? Laura would smack you, y'know! And I'm sure Elijah and Henry wouldn't be so nice either!"

"As I recall, you pissed Henry off."

"Not my fault that I died like, 3 times in a row! That's his own problem!"

"Who's Henry?" Erica rubbed her temples, "Or Laura? Or Elijah? In fact, can you all just start from the beginning?"

Stiles crossed his arms. "Yeah, Derek. Why don't you tell *them* what an asshole you've been?"

"I love you."

"Yeah, that's ri--wait, what?"

"Did Derek just say I love you?" Scott whispered to Allison, obviously alarmed. His girlfriend nodded, freaked out herself.

Later on, Derek and Stiles would explain to some very eager listeners in the new living room. Stiles would often interrupt with his own input, which Derek would seamlessly tell off of, and the females of the pack would sigh at the utter mushiness of it all.

But right now, the Alpha was much too busy finally claiming his mate to notice.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So...how many pack members is that?"

"Counting the human Stilinski boy and the Alpha, seven."

"Hm...sure been busy since I've left."

"You mean, since you killed his entire family, even the innocent ones, and ran?"

"Oh, darling brother of mine," Kate smirked, "Running implies never coming back. We've been planning this finale since before I even asked that lover boy out."

"We?"

"Yes," Gerard smiled, coming up beside Chris, "We."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel, anyone? Do leave a comment and let me know! <3


	11. Author's Note

EDIT: Sequel's up! I gave you the excerpt before, and now you get to read! Go forth, my dears! Enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


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